2020 Women’s Leadership Luncheon Celebrates Civic Service and Women’s Empowerment
Spirits were high at ɫƵ Philadelphia’s sixthԲԳܲWomen’s Leadership Luncheon, held virtually on Tuesday, October13.The luncheonunited women to support the service of ɫƵ AmeriCorps members while also inspiringwomen’s empowerment by bringing together a panel of influential women leading and inspiring change in Philadelphia.
The featured panelists were Councilwoman MariaQuiñones-Sánchez, who made history in 2007 as the first Latina elected to Philadelphia City Council and who has committed herself to government reform as well as her progressive “Keep People in Their Homes” agenda; the Honorable Alison Young, the Managing Partner of Red, White and Blue Strategies who previously served as executive director of the Institute for Strategic Leadership at Drexel University’s LeBow College for Business and as a special assistant to President George W. Bush; and Jasmine Sessoms, CEO and Founder of She Can Win, a nonprofit that provides training and funding for women and women of color seeking to run for political office.
This year’sluncheon wasparticularlysignificantin light ofSenator Kamala Harris’ nomination as the Democratic vice-presidential candidate,the first woman of colortobe selected fora majorparty’spresidential ticket.This yearis alsothe 100thanniversary of the 19thAmendment, which guaranteed women’s right to vote in the Constitution, and the 55thanniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965,thelandmark civil rights law that prohibited racial discrimination in voting.
Despite the delay from its originally scheduledMarchdateand theshift to an online setting due to the COVID-19 pandemic,the luncheon went off without a hitch and attendees were still able to engage with panelistsand each other.
During the panel,CouncilwomanQuiñones-Sánchez, Young,and Sessomsspoke candidly abouttheir experiences as women in leadership rolesand the importance of women incivic engagement.
For Councilwoman Quiñones-Sánchez,her introduction toactivism and civic engagementshowed there were simply “not enough women at the table.”
When asked what role she sawBlack women playing inactivism and civic engagement,Sessomsexplained that Black and Brown women have historically always played major roles.“Black women have been doing the work… they built their own table and brought their friends.”
Asked to describe important lessons learned from the suffragette movement,Young highlighted the importanceof continual civic service and interaction with the community. “The number one lesson is that the work is never done, women need to be engagedto see change,” she explained.
ɫƵ Philly would like toextend a humblethanks to Morgan Lewis, Kerri Strike–Stahller,and the rest of our sponsors for their generous donationsand support for the 2020 Women’s Leadership Luncheon. If you would like tohelp ɫƵ Philly continue to strive for its goal of equitable education and empowerment of women in leadership roles, you can donate atourwebsite.
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